Siena, Fresno State to play CBI final at ARC

TROY >> The Siena men’s basketball team is going a little old-school next week.

For the first time in more than 17 years, the team will play a non-exhibition game on campus at Alumni Recreation Center.

The Saints will take on Fresno State in the second game, and if necessary Game 3, of the College Basketball Invitational championship series at the ARC on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Fresno State beat Old Dominion, 71-64, in the semifinals. Game 1 of the CBA final will be played in California before a return trip to the Capital District and the ARC.

“They say it’s good when it’s full,” Siena coach Jimmy Patsos said. “There’ll be more students and that’s the most important thing, because this is for the students. I think it’s cool. It’s a little old-school, on campus, the way it all used to be.”

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The Times Union Center, Siena’s usual home court, does not have an event scheduled for Wednesday night, but the arena will be hosting the Life in Color event on Friday night, making it unavailable for basketball. Since Siena could potentially host two games in next week’s championship series, the school made the decision to move the games on-campus instead of potentially splitting the games between two sites.

“We’re excited to have the CBI Championship decided in front of our fans,” Siena vice president and director of athletics John D’Argenio said in an email sent by the college on Thursday. “We felt the most efficient and convenient course of action from a ticketing and customer relations stand point was to host both games in the same venue. If the series goes to a third game, we would not be able to play in the Times Union Center, which we knew at the outset of the CBI. ”

While the Saints have performed well at the TU Center, boasting a 13-4 record on the downtown Albany court, the squad is still comfortable on campus and the change won’t have much of an impact on the way the team approaches the game.

According to Siena’s athletic website, the ARC can hold up to 4,000 spectators, but capacity will be maxed out at 3,500 on Wednesday. The last game held there was a 76-55 victory over Loyola on February 18, 1997.

“If we get 3,500, it’s going to be loud,” Patsos said. “I’ve heard all the stories and all the old players say we should play one game a year there. They got their wish.”

Tickets for Wednesday’s game at the ARC will go on-sale to Siena season ticket holders on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. at the ARC box office. Tickets for non-season ticket holders will go on sale at SienaSaints.com on Sunday night and at the ARC box office on Monday.

All seating for both games will be general admission with the exception of a few courtside seats for members of Siena’s Premium Seating Program.

The biggest pro for the Saints heading into the on-campus games is the potential for more student fans in the crowd. With the ARC just a short walk from dorm rooms, Siena is hoping to have a strong student presence and, they hope, that will lead to a more energetic and supportive crowd.

“Our students have been pretty good, but a lot of our games are on TV and a lot of our games you’ve got to travel,” Patsos said. “But now they’re making it as easy as possible. I think we’ve got 500 student tickets and hopefully we used them all.”

No matter where the Saints are playing this championship, the team is simply happy to still be playing basketball. This season marks the longest year in the Saints’ program history and Wednesday’s game at the ARC will be the first-ever time that Siena compete in April.

Even so, the team is taking it one game at a time, prepping for their Saturday flight to Fresno State before looking to clinch their first national postseason championship.

“We’re still going to be playing,” Patsos said. “There’s only going to be 10 teams playing in the country now. No matter where you play, you’ve got to win.”